A daily divination, from family tortoise shells to immortal clans.

The Golden Core elders in the hall, except for Fang Zongyue, were all so angry that they were blowing their beards and glaring.

However, what He Xin said was indeed true. Among the current dual-spiritual-root disciples of the Yuanjian Sect, Chen Tongzhan was the most talented.

Although Chen Tongzhan's cultivation level was not high at this moment, his understanding of swordsmanship was no less than that of Chen Weisheng, who was at the same level back then.

After leaving Sword Valley, Chen Tongzhan had already distanced himself from other cultivators of the same level.

Li Xiaocang could only surpass him in cultivation level; when it came to swordsmanship, he was still far inferior.

The Yuanjian Sect takes swordsmanship as its foundation, so it naturally values ​​disciples with good swordsmanship talent. Even He Xin, as Li Xiaocang's master, greatly admires Chen Tongzhan.

"Everyone, the Grand Elder's disciple has just broken through to the Golden Core stage. He's overjoyed and might say a few things. Please don't take it to heart," said Fang Zongyue, a middle-aged man in a gray robe, trying to smooth things over.

One of the elders retorted, "Elder Fang, that's because He Xin didn't mention you. Don't try to be a peacemaker for us." He pursed his lips but ultimately didn't take it to heart.

Ultimately, they are all members of the sect, and they wouldn't care if He Xin acted impulsively for a moment, but they just didn't want to hold back their words.

"Alright!" Ning Hexing interrupted everyone and looked at Li Xiaocang: "Li Xiaocang has broken through to the Golden Core realm and should take up the position of sect elder. It's just a pity that your swordsmanship is still too weak and you are not qualified to enter Sword Valley yet."

"I'll give you ten years. If you're confident, you can come to me for a test at any time. Once you pass, Sword Valley will open to you."

"If that doesn't work... your chances are slim."

The Yuanjian Sect has its own evaluation criteria. A cultivator who can break through to the Golden Core realm at such a young age is considered to have exceptional talent.

However, the path of swordsmanship emphasizes intent, and at least at this moment, Li Xiaocang's sword intent is far from meeting Ning Hexing's requirements.

Moreover, Sword Valley has even stricter requirements for Golden Core cultivators. Although Ning Hexing was optimistic about Li Xiaocang, he could not predict the final outcome.

Ten years is not a long time for a Golden Core cultivator.

Ning Hexing did this so that Li Xiaocang could immerse himself in practicing swordsmanship.

Cultivating a calm mind and solidifying one's foundation are of great benefit to understanding the way of the sword.

If Li Xiaocang truly has talent, ten years is enough for him to comprehend his own sword intent, at which point he will be able to command respect when he enters Sword Valley.

"Xiao Cang thanks the sect leader!" Li Xiao Cang bowed to Ning Hexing, but his heart was heavy.

Sword intent was still somewhat difficult for him.

But we have to give it a try, it's just a matter of ten years.

"The rest of the rewards will be delivered to your cave later. Just keep an eye out for them." Ning Hexing nodded.

"Elders, do you have anything else to say?"

Upon hearing this, several elders who were concerned about the Chen clan stood up and spoke: "Sect Master, Chen Qingmo of the Tai Xuan Chen clan has been in seclusion for so many years and has yet to break through to the Golden Core realm. Shouldn't we consider nurturing Foundation Establishment cultivators from other clans?"

Chen Qingmo's breakthrough is crucial to whether the recapture of Guanzhou can proceed as scheduled. However, even Chu Jing, who was weaker than him back then, has already broken through, but there is still no news about him. Some of the elders are getting impatient.

Ning Hexing did not answer directly, but looked at his uncle Shen Xun. He had entrusted the matter to his uncle, and he had not paid attention to Chen Qingmo's situation.

"Sect Master, Chen Qingmo is indeed as the elders said, but I have a feeling that this little guy should be breaking through soon. Perhaps we should wait a little longer."

Over the past few decades, Shen Xun had visited Mount Tai Xuan and secretly investigated Chen Qingmo. He found that Chen Qingmo's magical power was extremely perfect, and he was very confident in breaking through to the Golden Core stage.

However, since the other party's spiritual root aptitude was four spiritual roots, Shen Xun guessed that Chen Qingmo was probably burdened by this matter, which was why he was a little slow.

"Wait any longer? Third Elder, what makes you so optimistic about this kid? He's just a Foundation Establishment cultivator from a family, nothing more than someone skilled in a variety of techniques. In terms of aptitude, there are many families below the sect who are stronger than him. Why wait for him?"

Some of the elders who had spoken out earlier expressed their doubts and dissatisfaction.

Just as the two sides were arguing, a message suddenly appeared on the jade slip on Zhou Tinglong's body. It was sent by his eldest disciple, Shui Wennan.

"Master, Chen Qingmo has broken through to the Golden Core stage!"

After reading the contents of the jade slip, a smile appeared on Zhou Tinglong's face.

He had already arranged a task, assigning a leisurely disciple from Jingtao Peak to live in Xiyun Town and keep a close eye on any news coming from Taixuan Mountain.

It seems that the disciple brought the message back to the sect, but since he was in the Ten Thousand Swords Hall at the moment, he couldn't come looking for him, so he asked Shui Wennan to tell him.

Zhou Tinglong coughed lightly, instantly attracting everyone's attention. The argument stopped, and the hall fell silent.

"Xiao Zhou, do you have any objections?" The elder looked at him, raised an eyebrow, and asked.

Zhou Tinglong slowly stood up: "Sect Master, Elders, the disciples I arranged in Xiyun Town have sent word that Chen Qingmo has broken through to the Golden Core stage."

The sound wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"He broke through?" Everyone was surprised. A few days ago, they had asked the Chen family, and the result was the same as before.

In just over ten days, Chen Qingmo finally broke through.

However, his breakthrough did not excite the elders who were dissatisfied. After so long, they had long lost their expectations.

"Now that Chen Qingmo has broken through, our sect can compete with the Floating Cloud Sect and the Heavenly Fire Sect for control of Guanzhou."

"Even if you elders have some reservations about him, I hope you will not cause trouble now."

Ning Hexing spoke calmly.

The two Golden Core families have already met the conditions he had previously discussed with the other two sects.

Once the specific details of the competition are discussed, there will be an opportunity to reclaim Guanzhou.

"Sect Master, rest assured, we are not unreasonable people." The elders cupped their hands in greeting.

Upon receiving this news, the elders' discussions became pointless.

Ning Hexing said a few words and then dismissed them from the Hall of Ten Thousand Swords.

"Senior brother, are you going to the Floating Cloud Sect and the Heavenly Fire Sect now?" Only Xiao Wujian and Shen Xun remained in the Hall of Ten Thousand Swords. Xiao Wujian could roughly guess Ning Hexing's thoughts by looking at his expression.

"Guanzhou has always been the place that sects most want to reclaim. Think about it, Jiang Ting of the Fuyun Sect is from Guanzhou. He has a Heavenly Spiritual Root, and there are quite a few cultivators with good spiritual root aptitude who have emerged from there."

"If Guanzhou had always been under the jurisdiction of our sect, how could those promising young immortals have been taken away by the Floating Cloud Sect and the Heavenly Fire Sect?"

Ning Hexing rubbed his brow, feeling helpless.

Guanzhou is a place of outstanding people and abundant resources. Back when the old sect leader of Yuanjian Sect was still alive, the other two sects never came to Guanzhou to recruit disciples.

However, Guanzhou is now jointly governed by the Fuyun Sect and the Tianhuo Sect, and only the Yuanjian Sect cannot interfere.

For so long, Long Zhaodan and Zhu Ai have been the only two Heavenly Spirit Root Immortal Seeds in the Yuanjian Sect.

Aside from these two, the most talented disciple in the Yuanjian Sect was the one with the rare mutated ice spirit root.

This doesn't mean that mutated spiritual roots are inferior to celestial spiritual roots. Welcome to a vast collection of novels for you to explore! Both have their own strengths, but celestial spiritual roots have extremely fast cultivation speed and no Foundation Establishment bottleneck, making Core Formation relatively easier for them compared to mutated spiritual roots.

A Heavenly Spiritual Root can produce a highly skilled cultivator in a sect in a short period of time. Mutated spiritual roots have unique attributes and their spells have additional effects. Some spells from mutated spiritual roots are even more destructive than those from Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivators.

For sects, whether it's a celestial spiritual root or a mutated spiritual root, they are all outstanding talents that they need to cultivate.

However, a small territory would lead to a decline in talent, which is why Ning Hexing was eager to reclaim Guanzhou.

"It's better to do this sooner rather than later. He Xing already has the strength to talk to the other two sects' Supreme Elders on equal terms. Go ahead and do it," Shen Xun said at this moment.

He is old and nearing the end of his life.

If he could see the sect's territory restored to its original state in his lifetime, it would be a cause for great joy for him.

"Uncle-Master is right." Ning Hexing nodded and continued, "My only worry is that when we go to the Floating Cloud Sect, Fairy Hongfei will probably bring up the matter of marriage again."

After breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, Ning Hexing found many excuses to refuse Song Hongfei.

He knew that Song Hongfei had deep feelings for him, but he never wanted to face it.

"He Xing, I haven't said anything bad about you all these years, but Song Hongfei is a really good girl, and I can also see that you still have some feelings for her."

"On the path of spiritual practice, Dharma companions, wealth, and environment are all very important."

"Although the word 'partner' does not necessarily refer to a Daoist partner, it can also mean a confidant. However, having a Daoist partner who is compatible with one's heart is a wonderful thing."

"Wujian is lazy by nature and doesn't have a girl he likes. I don't expect him to get married."

"But you are different. Go ahead and do it. As a Nascent Soul cultivator in the early stage, you have no more scruples in Qi. If you are truly interested in Song Hongfei, then accept her."

Shen Xun spoke at length to Ning Hexing with great earnestness.

If the two could become Daoist partners, it would be a good thing for the Yuanjian Sect.

As Song Luoxi's daughter, Song Hongfei's background and her own strength make her an excellent partner for Ning Hexing.

"Uncle-Master, I will consider this matter carefully." Ning Hexing still didn't dare to admit it, wanting to wait until after he returned to the Floating Cloud Sect to deal with the matter.

"Just know your limits," Shen Xun said without further comment.

……

Mount Taixuan.

After Chen Qingmo broke through to the Golden Core stage, the power structure of the Chen family began to change.

The positions of clan leader and elders were initially filled by Foundation Establishment cultivators. Since there were not many Foundation Establishment cultivators in Tai Xuan Mountain at the moment, the responsibility of clan leader returned to Chen Mingzheng.

Su Xue, Chen Weilan, and the Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed in Pinggao County all assumed the responsibilities of elders.

Clan members at the ninth level of Qi Refining and the Great Perfection of Qi Refining can still serve as elders and be responsible for the clan's trivial affairs.

A Qi Refining cultivator at the Great Perfection stage who is expected to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm can exchange a Foundation Establishment Pill with their family at a relatively low price.

This was done to encourage Chen's disciples to cultivate diligently.

Otherwise, if they sold the Foundation Establishment Pills to their family disciples at the price the Chen family exchanged with the Yuanjian Sect, they would have to accumulate an unknown amount of contribution points to obtain them.

That would only waste the disciple's time.

Currently, the Chen family only has one Supreme Elder, Chen Qingmo.

Inside the council chamber, everyone was gathered.

The news of Chen Qingmo's breakthrough to the Golden Core stage was spread by his family disciples, and all the families and many independent cultivators within the Yuanjian Sect were aware of it.

Many families and independent cultivators have come to offer their congratulations, just as they did when Chu Jing broke through to the Golden Core stage.

Several Foundation Establishment families who had previously clashed with Chen Qingmo in the Cloud Lotus Secret Realm also came to show goodwill.

Golden Core cultivators are beings who can easily annihilate Foundation Establishment families with a mere flick of their wrists. No matter how many grudges they have from the past, they can only swallow them down.

If they dare to plot against or become hostile, Chen Qingmo won't even need to lift a finger; someone will secretly eliminate them in order to curry favor with the Chen family.

In the world of cultivation, strength determines status.

Half a month has passed since Chen Qingmo emerged from seclusion. In addition to those who came to congratulate him, news also came from the Yuanjian Sect.

The main purpose is to help Chen Qingmo stabilize his cultivation, as there will be a competition waiting for him later.

The Chen family members were also aware that the competition was related to Guanzhou.

"Qingmo is an affiliated Golden Core family of the Floating Cloud Sect and the Heavenly Fire Sect. They have been developing for thousands of years and are very powerful. There are probably more than one Golden Core cultivator among them."

"During the competition, don't fight too hard; prioritize your own safety." Chen Ming said with concern. He knew that this kind of competition wouldn't involve life or death, but accidents were inevitable in cultivator battles. He was also worried that Chen Qingmo, being a new Golden Core cultivator, might not have the experience of those established Golden Core cultivators.

"Uncle, there's no need to worry. Since the sect is so eager to reclaim Guanzhou, it's likely that they will discuss a relatively fair competition method with the other two sects."

"Otherwise, with our newly broken-through strength, the chances of winning a battle are slim."

Chen Qingmo said with a smile.

"What a coincidence, Fellow Daoist Chu has arrived."

Just as Chen Qingmo finished speaking, a middle-aged man dressed in white appeared above Mount Taixuan.

He waited quietly, looking quite pleased with himself.

This person is Chu Jing.

Upon seeing Chen Qingmo, Chu Jing smiled and said, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Chen, on achieving the Golden Core Dao!"

He was somewhat shocked. As a fellow Golden Core cultivator, Chu Jing could still sense a faint but dangerous aura emanating from Chen Qingmo.

Just like when he and Chen Qingmo were both at the peak of Foundation Establishment.

"Thank you for your kind words, Fellow Daoist Chu. I am indeed a bit slower than you, Fellow Daoist Chu." Chen Qingmo cupped his hands slightly, shook his head and smiled.

Chu Jing, although he was not very kind in his actions at first, is a person of spiritual cultivation. Who can say anything about it?

As long as it doesn't affect the lives of Chen Qingmo, Liu Chu, and Jia Bude, that's fine.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, have you come here to discuss a competition with me?" Chen Qingmo asked.

He could roughly guess the other party's purpose.

If it's just a simple congratulatory message, sending a disciple of the Chu family will suffice.

The only reason Chen Qingmo could think of for Chu Jing's personal visit was related to the competition in Guanzhou.

"Fellow Daoist Chen is perceptive and guessed it right away." Chu Jing nodded slightly.

There was no need to hide this matter. The Yuanjian Sect needed Golden Core families, and most importantly, Golden Core cultivators.

The competition will inevitably be between the two of them, so discussing things now will give them some peace of mind.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, please feel free to speak your mind, but please make it clear beforehand that I am not aware of the matter of the contest," Chen Qingmo said slowly.

If Chu Jing wanted to inquire about the details of the competition from him, he would not succeed.

According to news from the sect, Ning Hexing has not yet returned to the sect, presumably because the specific details have not yet been discussed with the other two Nascent Soul cultivators.

What Chen Qingmo was most concerned about was whether Feng Liuying had recovered after decades.